


Cat's are magic my dear, and don't you forget it

by Sketchalot



Series: Chaos Duo Rise! [2]
Category: Batman (Comics), Batman - All Media Types, DCU, DCU (Comics)
Genre: Angst, Dissociation, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Panic Attacks, and there is a hopeful/happyending!, and tim deals with some dissocation, heed the tags yall!, i would not leave these bby's sad i promise you, implied/referenced violence against a child, in regards to klarion mentioning a run in they had with dr. fate, teekl is a tru mvp in this and acts as an emotional suppport animal for both the kiddos, they both comfort and help eachother through this tho, they help eachother through panic attacks, this one gets an bit heavyand angsty, tim and klarion go through it, we stan queen teekl in this household
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-26
Updated: 2020-08-26
Packaged: 2021-03-06 04:09:09
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,420
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25927168
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sketchalot/pseuds/Sketchalot
Summary: A meditation on the healing magic of cats, the strength of pinkie promises, and the friends who hold you together when you fall apart.
Relationships: Tim Drake & Klarion, Tim Drake & Klarion & Teekl
Series: Chaos Duo Rise! [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1866871
Comments: 11
Kudos: 78





	Cat's are magic my dear, and don't you forget it

**Author's Note:**

> Hello! finally, I come to you with the second installment of the "Chaos Duo Rise!" series-I hope y'all enjoy it.
> 
> Went down an angsty avenue with this one, so please heed the tags! This makes it sound like a super dark fic, but I promise it has comfort and a hopeful/happy ending! These boi's are definitely looking out for each other! Just want to make sure everyone knows what they're getting into before reading.
> 
> Timeline wise, this chronologically takes place before "I thought you were going to stop breaking into my house?". Tim and Klarion are still young and their friendship relatively new; Tim is not yet Robin, and Klarion is still being taught the ways of "mortals" i.e. pop culture and the like. 
> 
> Now that that's out of the way, let's get on to the fic!

Tim’s not really sure what triggers it exactly when it’s all said and done.

One moment he and Klarion had been setting up for a sleepover-a _sleepover_ with a _friend_ and sometimes Tim still couldn’t wrap his head around it, even after the months of friendship and multiple overnight stays with Klarion now under his belt-and the next he was shoving himself into the alcove between his bookshelf and dresser, hands shaking and struggling to breathe.

Maybe it was the intrusive thought of his parents, unwanted and unbidden, that fluttered into his mind as he caught sight of his phone. The fact that he’d hardly thought of them at all the whole time Klarion had visited, hadn’t even sent his normally scheduled text of the week, and they _still_ hadn’t thought to check-in. 

Maybe it was the echo of their voices in his head, the ones that always had something to say about every aspect of his life and how it would reflect on _them;_ he imagines their disappointment and anger, the opinions they’d have about Klarion that they wouldn’t think _twice_ about saying, and _‘we’ve taught you better Timothy, don’t you care about how this will affect us-’_

Tim couldn’t breathe- _he couldn’t breathe_ -and was shaking right out of his bones, out of his skin, on his way to shaking completely _apart_ and-

And there were hands on his wrists, and a purring bundle dropped into his lap, a voice speaking to him through the reverberating noise of his atoms vibrating apart; a voice connected to the hands on his wrists as they guided him into burying them in the furry mass on his lap.

“-and it’s ok Timmy, you know why it’s ok?” The voice asks him when he can finally hear through his own rattling, managing a small shake of his head as the kind hands-‘ _Klarion’s hands’_ his mind finally whispers to him through the fog-guide his own through the cat fur, over and over in a repetitive motion and the cat- _Teekl_ -purr’s and purr’s away.

“It’s because cats are _magic_ Timmy,” Klarion whispers in a kind and reverent voice, a voice that helps to pull the pieces of Tim together that much more “and Teekl here is the most magical of them all, _that_ I can guarantee.” Tim feels them settle more firmly against his side, steadily guiding Tim’s hands, giving Tim another point of contact to ground himself to. 

“And when you feel yourself rattling out of your bones when you feel too big for your skin-so big that you might just burst and scatter away for good-Teekl will _always_ be there to bring you back. You just have to pet her Timmy, let her comfort you-she’ll never turn you away, that I swear to you.” And with that promise Klarion fumbles for Tim’s hand, slotting their pinkies together, just like Tim had taught him last week.

_‘A bit of mortal magic,’_ Tim had explained as he hooked their hands together _‘a special promise that can't be broken, okay?’_ And Klarion had nodded, as serious as Tim had ever seen them, as Tim shook their hands- _once, twice, thrice_ -before breaking the link.

Tim keeps their pinkies gripped together, pieces finally lining back up together like a mosaic as he focuses on their joined hands buried in Teekl’s fur, her purring still going strong, reverberating through his stomach and chest as he tries to ground himself bit by bit. 

Tim lets his head fall on Klarion’s shoulder with a stuttered sigh, closing his eyes to just _breath_ as he feels Klarion mirror their action, resting their own head on top of Tim’s. 

Tongue like lead in his mouth-scary in its own way, Tim has always been able to rely on his words, _what is he without them_ -Tim tries to gather his thoughts into words that he can push out of his mouth. Klarion, more patient and quiet than he thinks he’s ever seen them be before, gives him the time he needs. 

So much swirls in Tim’s head- _what’s happening? Was I cursed? Will this happen again? Please I don’t want it to happen again-_ but all that he’s able to articulate is two words that tumble out of his mouth and fall like lead.

“You too?”

Tim still feels too far away to be properly embarrassed by his lack of articulation at the moment; and wouldn’t his parents have something to say about _that_ if they were here, always so focused on how he presented himself and how it reflected on _them_ , never mind what they’d think about everything else that had just transpired. Instead, the only thoughts he can focus on as they float through his head are klarions words, and the _certaintyconvictionfamiliartiy_ he spoke them with. He concentrates his attention on their hands, Klarion’s aborted jerk at the question and the chuckle that lacked any real humor that seemed to rip its way out of their throat.

It feels like an eternity-or maybe just a scant few seconds, Tim finds it hard to keep any time with his mind the way it is-before Klarion answers.

“...being a chaos lord of my caliber, at my age, is pretty amazing you know?” Klarion starts, “all the power at my fingertips, the adventure, the _adoring_ public you meet...but-“ Klarion’s voice rattles away as they cut themselves off.

Tim, as far away as he still feels, forces the arm and hand attached to his body that no longer feels like his own to fumble Klarion’s hand into theirs and guide it along Teekl’s back; just as they had done for him. 

Klarion‘s hand shakes under his, but they let out a wet chuckle, followed by a sniffle, and start again.

“... _but_ sometimes those adoring fans aren’t so adoring, sometimes they’re downright nasty if you can believe it! I certainly couldn’t the first time, Timmy-I mean who wouldn’t love all of _this_?” Klarion’s following chuckle holds just as much humor as its predecessor-which is to say none at all-and Tim keeps their entwined hands moving through Teekl’s fur, ready to wait as long as needed for Klarion to get their words out.

“And sometimes-“ a quiver, a sniffle, a wetness Tim can feel on his hair, one to match the spot he’d created on Klarion’s shirt that he’s only now noticed-“ _and sometimes_ it’s not even _about you_ , not about your personality or your actions, it’s about the _magic you use_ , about what you _represent_ , about the parts of you you _can’t change_ and _why should I have to, this is who I am and there’s nothing wrong with it-!"_

A sob rips its way out of Klarion’s throat and Teekl has crawled onto their lap now, Klarion's hands frantically stroking through her fur, Tim’s arms wrapped around them tightly to hold together any scattered pieces.

As Tim holds them together-holds both of them together-Klarion breathes and breathes and eventually breathes out a final sentence.

“Sometimes,” they whisper, “sometimes you barely make it away from a golden warrior of Order, and the only thing to keep you from rattling apart and away on the wind is a kitty that refuses to leave your side and the magic-the comfort-they provide.” 

And that’s all that needs to be said.

Tim’s not sure how long they sit there on the ground, huddled in the space between his bookshelf and dresser, but it’s enough to get their breathing under control, their muscles to relax, and for Teekl to rearrange herself so she’s sprawled equally across both of their laps. 

Tim feels wrung out-like a sponge, or a washcloth, squeezed one too many times-and he’s sure Klarion feels the same. He’s exhausted emotionally and mentally and thinks they deserve a nice nap, maybe with a Sabrina the Teenaged Witch marathon to play in the background to lighten the mood as they dozed.

But first-

Tim reaches over to catch Klarion’s hand, no longer stroking Teekl’s fur but resting motionless on her back, and grasps their pinkies firmly together. 

“Promise?” He manages to croak out, brain still too scattered to get out much else, but he hopes Klarion understands.

_promise to be there, promise to protect, promise to not be alone, promise promise promise-_

_promise that cats are magic?_

And Klarion latches on just as strong, shaking their hands- _once, twice, thrice, just like he taught them_ -before entangling their hands together to rest on Teekl once more.

“ _Promise."_

And they know this promise will never be broken.

**Author's Note:**

> I knocked this whole thing out in a single sitting, first in my phone notes, then transferred to google docs for further editing, then finally onto my computer to post on a03, so I apologize if there are any errors I've missed!
> 
> Hope y'all enjoyed it, even if it was sadder than the last installation; I'll definitely have the next one be happy to make up for it! and please let me know if you think I should change/add any tags or change the rating-I'm definitely still new to this whole thing!
> 
> Seeya next time!


End file.
